The amount of contaminated volatile materials emanating from solid waste materials is a recognized concern of industry. In recent years regulations have been established by EPA and OSHA concerning the nature and concentration of toxic chemicals within the atmosphere. Since the rate of volatilization of gaseous chemicals from solid waste directly affects the concentration of contaminants in the atmosphere, primarily in the vicinity of the solid wastes, a rapid and inexpensive method for establishing the rate of volatilization of toxic species is desired. Methods currently available involve complicated gas chromatographic techniques which are difficult to use on site.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple method for establishing the magnitude of volatilization rates of the contaminant species in order to rapidly assess the criticality of the situation.